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| Urgency to explore ways to upgrade higher education in India | | | KHUSHWANT S RANIAL | 5/3/2012 10:56:15 PM |
| In this fast moving competitive world of the 21st century, we need talent who could bear the pressure of experimentation and value creation. For gaining so, we require quality stuff and higher levels of education, including high-tech skills and open-mindedness for lifelong learning to meet the ever changing demands of the knowledge era. A mind of closed vision cannot do wonders to compete and lead the state and society to greater heights to meet the challenges at the global level.
India hopes and wishes to be the next knowledge hub centre but unfortunately higher education system which could lead us to the greater heights is in itself at shambled state only hoping against all odds to survive the pressure of world around. The problem behind such a scenario is not the infrastructure but the educational standards we have been pursuing without meeting the needs of the changing times. The churning out stuff of our educational centres at the higher levels is not qualitative enough to take pride in or feel boast of with the raised heads .So to overcome this existing flaws, we need that our Universities should tune themselves with the need of the hour and open new departments. Remember the nation grows only when it becomes the repository of knowledge, learning, art, theatre and literature. Our first Prime Minister Sh. J.L.Nehru perhaps realising this factor led to the opening of newer centres of higher education way back in early 1950's and the fruits of which we have cherished so far.
India and China remained the educational centres and attracted the foreigners to come over here to gain higher studies right from 1 AD to the 19 AD. India alone accounted for the world 's 33 percent GDP and both India and China together contributed World's 50% of the total GDP till 19th Century owing to more advanced in technology than whole Europe .Our Taxila, Nalanda and Alexandria Universities were the most famous centres of the learning across the world and played a key role in earning peace and prosperity of this region. But the advent of Industrial revolution and arrival Britishers in Indian sub continent led the things to turn the turtle in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
The colonial education definitely left its impact and could be seen as well due to their mode of teaching - learning system , framed syllabus suiting to their needs ,implementing newer set of rules and regulations etc. Universities were essentially meant for managing and disseminating the knowledge. Realising the emerging need of the times, after India's Independence, Various committees have been set up to suggest measures to consolidate efforts to revamp the lost track but none of them has come up with encouraging results.
Among the notable committees ,the Radhakrishnan committee (1948) stressed for making higher education accessible to one and all section of society whereas Kothari Commission (1966) stressed for educational development and creating integration among different institutions. In addition ,the National Policy on Education (1986) designed a comprehensive framework to guide the development of education sector and National Knowledge Commission (2004)deliberated transforming into a knowledge society . For achieving this target the committee suggested nearly 300 points covering over than 25 different areas. Again while contributing to the earlier exercise made from time to time, the Yashpal committee (2008)stressed for providing more autonomy to the Universities by making them more accountable for their deeds. All these remedial timely upgrading suggestions and solutions led to mindless proliferation of the Universities in India right since Independence till date and the mindboggling figure has touched the mark of education seekers around 16 million in India alone.
India has more than 2/3rd of its work force population is unskilled and so there is desired need to go for self governing interdisciplinary institutions to come out of colonial legacy shell. It is because Knowledge is restricted and our Universities are cut off from the concerns of society and economy. The concept of memorisation and regurgitation has to be discouraged at the higher level of learning .It is emphasised to produce the students with sound vision holding creative outlook and skilled individuals of sound quality who could take risk and evolve newer means of survival lessening the burden of existing outdated means of survival for the common man. Higher education must focus mainly on expanding the frontiers of knowledge and not forcing on the cramming so that chiselled graduate becomes a responsible corporate citizen of the world to deliver the goods.
For achieving all this we require is to create different type of environment not only in our educational centres but also in our industries that promotes and encourages innovation and creativity. This is only possible when there is adequate flow of funding to these Universities for research works, building infrastructures, producing and employing most talented ,dedicated and capable teachers .If Universities suffers due to paucity of the funds there is no second opinion our industries will also suffer as well.
To achieve all this we should leave no stone unturned in providing rich incentives to the teaching fraternity to make teaching a lovable and likable profession. In this knowledge world, everything right from patent and trademark to software and ideas has become a greater source of value .There is acute shortage of competent teachers which is matter of prime concern and causing the problem most. This issue could be addressed only whenUniversities and colleges become the centre of excellence where there is genuinely critical spirit of inquiry and risk oriented experimentation burning desire .For all this we need to explore genuine means to upgrade the higher education in India by shedding our outdated procedures and borrowing successful methods irrespective of the place, region and nation. |
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